Combined electric protection and warp stop for looms



F. W. PAUL Feb. 19, 1952 COMBINED ELECTRIC PROTECTION AND WARP STOP FOR LOOMS Filed April 3, 1950 FIG. I

INVENTOR FREDERICK W. PAUL @4444 97 FIG. 2

ATTORNEY to continue running. is slow inlreaching thegiven point and there is likelihood that the shuttle can be trapped in the warp shed mechanism acts to stop the loom .promptly. Because of the importance of pro- Patenled Feb. 19, 1952 UNIT-ED "S TAT-ES PATENT OFF-ICE COMBINED ELECTRIOPROTECTIONAND WARPSTOP FOR-.LQOMS Frederick Paul, -Worcester, 'Mass.;;as'siglior to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., :a-corporation of Massachusetts Application April 3, 1950, Serial No. 153,644

1 fix-Claims. 1

"This invention relates-to improvements in a i'lo'om having'electric protectionand an electric warp stop motion and it is the general object of the invention to provide protection and warp stop interconnected electric circuits controlling a common knock-off mechanism-and actingto stop the loom if the shuttle is running behind schedule or a dropwire has 'fallen due to a broken warp thread.

There has recently been developed a .formof electric protection for looms wherein the shuttle if running properly gives indication of timely arrival at-a given point along the lay between the shuttleiboxes andindoing so permits the loom If, however, the :shuttIe tection in a loom it is desirable that conditions be set normally so that the loomwill stop unless the normal setting is canceled by timely arrival of the shuttle at the aforesaid given point along the lay, and in order to accomplish this result a force transmitted under control of the solenoid may be normally positioned in the path of aregularly rocking knock-ofi lever to be moved out -of the path if the shuttle is on time, but be left in the path if the shuttle is late.

Electric warp stop motions generally employ some form of knock-off mechanism including a regularly rocking actuator or the like, which upon occurrence of a warp fault cooperateswithan electromagnetically controlled force transmitter to effect loom stoppage. When the electric protection of the type mentioned is combined'with electric Warp stop means and the shuttle is running properly the condition can arise in which the solenoid would be energized to move the'force transmitter out of the path of theactuator at the time when a broken warp thread requires that the transmitter be left in the path.

It is an important object of the present invention to locate a switch in the protector circuit normally closed so thatjthe shuttle can-energize the solenoid, but if a warp fault occurs'the switch is opened sothat although the Shuttle is 2 In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodimentof the invention is set forth, Fig.1 is a-sideelevation of part of a loom having the invention applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 is adiagram of the electric circuits used with the invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loomframe I supports top and bottom shaftsi and 3vwhich are generallygeared together so that the .top shaft'rotates once for-each -pick or beat of the loom and the bottom shaft rotates every other pick of the loom. The system of warp threads "designate generally-at W ,isidivided into .top and bottom Warp sheds WI and W2 by :harness mechanism indicatedgenerally at 4 and 5.

Associatedwith the system :of warpthreads is a warp stop motion designatedgenerallyat "6 including several banks, fourbanks being shown in Fig. 1. The drop wires] are individually supported by the warp threads and whenever a warp thread breaks or becomes undulyslack the associated drop -w-ire falls and in doing-so electrically connects the electrodesof a contact bar. In Fig. 2 cne 0f these contact bars 8-is indicated'as'hav- -9-andan-inner insulated-electrode l0. The-warp ing an outer-and generallygroundedelectrode stop motion may be of-theitype shown in Payne on time and closesits switch the solenoid cannot be energized and-the force transmitterwill remain in the path of theactuator to efiect loom stoppage.

With these and other objects in view'which will appear'as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the'combination and arrangementofparts hereinafter described and: set forth.

Patent No. 1 ,852,217.

The lay H is reciprocated by the top shaft through connectors one of which is indicated at l2 --and-:rocks-bacl and -forth in -a :more or less horizontal direction, completing a reciprocation each pick or beatof the loom. During the backwardstrokev-ofthevlaythe shuttle S will-generally be picked qand-qpass through the warpshed and ordinarily-emerge from the-shed during-the ensuing. forwardistroke of thelay. If foranyreason "the shuttle-fails to leave the warp shed his necessary to stop-the loom promptlyjin order to 40 prevent a warp smash.

Operation of the loomis controlled by shipper mechanism designated generally at I5 and ineluding a handle 1 6: having :a-sdownwardly extend- 'ing arm l'li'connected teas-rod I 8 leadin'g'to a knock-ofi mechanism designated generallyat' I9.

energized it raises the "link to the 'non-stopping position shownin'full lines, Fig. 1, "and dotted lines, Fig. 2. When in the down or stopping position link will rest on a stop 24.

A regularly moving knock-off lever 25 pivoted as at '26 to the mechanism is rocked in onepick time by a cam 27 secured to the bottom shaft 3 and having opposite lobes 28. Actuator or knock-off lever is given a working stroke in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 by cam 21 each pick of the loom, preferably when the lay is moving forwardly. If the link 22 is in non-stopping position out of the path of the lever 25 the loom will continue to run, but if the link is in stopping position rod l8 will be pushed forwardly to shift the shipper mechanism 15 from the running to the stopping position and mechanism not shown herein but well understood thereupon operates to effect prompt loom stoppage. The loom stopping mechanism including lever 25, link 22, and rod i8 may be similar to that shown in Payne Patent No. 1,873,465, except that in the patent the link is normally out of the path of the knock-01f lever.

The electric protector mechanism includes a plunger or rod 36 slidable vertically in the lay I i and normally "projecting upwardly a slight distance into the path of the shuttle S. This plunger is located at some point along the lay between its ends to be depressed by the shuttle while the latter is in night and preferably though not necessarily while the shuttle is still in the warp shed. A normally open shuttle operated switch SS is mounted on the lay and has a blade 3| for engagement with a contact 32, see Fig. 2. The blade is controlled by a small lever 33 on the lay normally in raised position but pushed down as the shuttle passes over and depresses the plunger 30, and when pushed down lever 33 causes blade 3! to engage contact 32 and thus close the shuttle switch SS.

When a holdover device is desired for the switch SS the same may be provided by a looking lever 35 pivoted as at 36 to the lay and having the lower end 3'! for cooperation with a stationary stop 38. The lever 35 slips over and hooks the lever 33 in down position when plunger is depressed by the shuttle. This operation occurs while the lay is still a considerable distance from its front center position and as the lay approaches front center the stop 38 engages lever to rock it in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 to release the lever 33, whereupon the latter and the plunger are restored to their normal raised position preparatory to another operation by the shuttle on the next pick of the loom.

The plunger 30, switch SS and holding lever 35 form part of the subject matter of copending application Serial No. 134,001, filed by Moss,December 20, 1949, and are not specifically claimed herein. The present invention is not limited to the form of switch SS shown, and it will be suificient for the purposes of the invention if the shuttle when passing a given point along the lay operates to close a switch or otherwise closes the loom protection circuit to be described hereinafter.

In carrying the present invention into effect provision is made to control the link 22 from both the warp stop motion and the electric protection. Normally, switch SS will be open and link 22 will be in the path of lever 25. When the shuttle closes switch SS the following normally open loom protection circuit will be closed: transformer T, wire 40, switch blade ll of warp stop controlled switch WS, contact 42, wire 43. blade 3! (dotted lines, Fig. 2), contact 32, wire 44, solenoid 23, and wire cs back to the transformer.

4 If this normally open circuit is closed on time by depression of plunger 30 by the shuttle, link 22 will be lifted (dotted lines, Fig. 2) out of the path of lever 25 before the latter has its workin stroke and the loom will continue to run. If the shuttle is running late, however, link 22 will remain in the path of lever 25 when the latter has its working stroke and link 22 will be moved to the left, Fig. 2, to move the rod [8 forwardly to efiect prompt loom stoppage, as already described.

When a drop wire falls it closes the following normally open warp stop circuit: transformer T, wires ii] and 50, contact bar 8, wire 5|, electromagnet 52, wire 53, and wire 45 back to the transformer. When this circuit is closed the electro-magnet 52 will be energized and blade 4|, which is an armature of the electro-magnet, will be drawn out of engagement with contact 42. When the protector circuit is thus broken the solenoid 23 will remain deenergized even though the shuttle should be on time and close switch SS. Under these conditions the solenoid 23 will not be able to lift link 22 and the latter, being in the path of the lever 25, will be moved to effect loom stoppage.

If the shuttle should be running slow and a drop wire should fall shortly after lever 25 engages link 22 the protector circuit will be open at the warp stop switch WS by movement of blade ll and will remain open until the warp fault is corrected. Merely placing the shuttle in its box and resuming weaving even if resulting in closure of switch SS, will not cancel the warp stop indication, and when lever 25 has its next working stroke the loom will again be stopped. If the warp fault should occur just before the shuttle reaches plunger 3! switch WS will open the protector circuit and timely depression of plunger 30 by the shuttle cannot have the effect of energizing solenoid 23 and the loom will be stopped.

From the foregoing it'will be seen that the invention sets forth simple means by which a single solenoid can be utilized with both the electric protection and warp stop circuits despite the fact that the protection circuit requires energization of the solenoid 23 while operation of the warp stop circuit requires that the solenoid be deenergized. This result is accomplished by having a warp stop controlled switch in the protection circuit normally closed to permit regular energization of the solenoid, but opened upon occurrence of warp fault to prevent closure of the protection circuit. The link 22 is normally set to effect loom stoppage and is moved to nonstopping position prior to a working stroke of lever 25 only if the shuttle is running on time. While the knock-01f mechanism operates at a given time in the loom cycle closely related to the normal time of closure of the shuttle switch SS, the warp stop controlled switch WS can open any time in the cycle independently of the shuttle and it will remain open until the warp fault is corrected without regard to the condition of switch SS. Except at those comparatively rare times when a warp fault occurs when switch SS is closed the protection circuit will be open or dead when switch WS opens and there will be no sparking at contact 42.

Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of; the

7 5 invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In stopping means for a loom operating with a shuttle, a regularly moving knock-off lever, loom stopping mechanism including aforce transmitter normally in the path of the lever and efieetive when moved by the lever to cause the mechanism to stop the loom, a normally deenergized electro-magnetic device effective when energized to move the force transmitter out of the path of the lever, a normally open loom protection electric circuit including said device closed by the shuttle to effect energization of the device, a normally open electric warp stop circuit, and means independent of the W shuttle operative upon closure of the warp stop circuit to open the protection circuit.

2. In stopping means for a loom operating with a shuttle, mechanism normally operative to stop the loom at a given time in the loom cycle, a

normally deenergized electro-magnetic device effective when energized prior to said time to prevent the mechanism from stopping the loom, a normally open loom protection electric circuit closed by the shuttle to energize the device prior to said time if the shuttle is running on time,va

normally open warp stop electric circuit, and

means operative due to closure of the Warp stop circuit to open the protection circuit independently of the shuttle to prevent energization of said device.

3. In stopping means for a loom operating with a shuttle, mechanism normally operative to stop the loom at a given time in the loom cycle, a normally deenergized electromagnetic device eifective when energized prior to said time to prevent the mechanism from stopping the loom,

a normally open loom protection electric circuit including said device effective when closed to energize said device, the shuttle if running. on

time closing the protection circuit prior to said given time. a normally open warp stop electric circuit, and means independent of the shuttle operative due to closure of the warp stop circuit to prevent closure of the protection circuit and;

closed by the shuttle if the latter is running on time to cause said protection circuit means to energize the device, normally open warp stop circuit means, and means actuated upon closure of the warp stop circuit means opening the normally closed electric switch to prevent energization of the device even though the shuttle closes said normally open shuttle operated switch.

5. In stopping means for a loom operating with a shuttle, a regularly moving actuator, stopping mechanism for the loom including a force transmitting element normally in the path of the actuator to be moved by the latter to effect loom stoppage, an electro-magnetic device controllin the element effective when energized to move the element out of operative relation with respect to the actuator to prevent the latter from stopping the loom, normally open loom protection electric circuit means including a normally closed electric switch and closed by the shuttle to energize said device, and normally open warp stop electric circuit means effective upon closure to open said normally closed electric switch to prevent energization of the device.

6. In stopping means for a loom operating with a shuttle, a regularly moving actuator, loom stopping mechanism including a force transmitting element normally in the path of the actuator effective when moved by the latter to stop the loom, a normally deenergized electro-magnetic device controlling the element efi'ective when energized to move the latter out of the path of the actuator, a normally open electric switch closed by the shuttle, a normally closed switch, series electric protection circuit means including said switches and device efiective when the normally open switch is closed by the shuttle to move the element out of the path of the actuator, and warp stop electric circuit means controlling the normally closed switch and efiective when energized to open the latter switch to prevent energization of said device when the shuttle closes the normally open switch.

FREDERICK W. PAUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,148,700 Lohsse Feb. 28, 1939 2,475,505 Kronoff et al July 5, 1949 

